Friday, April 23, 2010

Day 113 - Running the Other Way

If you run a lot, you will inevitably find yourself running the same courses over and over and over. And over.

In some ways, this is good. It's comforting to know your way, where you are, how far and what terrain you have left.

But some days, when you might not feel all that excited to run anyway, the thought of running that same old, boring course or this other even older, boringer course, make you want to run even less.

You know when you try to think of a place to eat and all that you can come up with are the same tired places where you always eat, and none of them sound good? It's like that.

Let's assume you don't have time to venture off to run in a new or favorite place. You're stuck where you are... where you always are.

Well, try this... run the course backwards.

No, I'm not talking about actually running backwards, as in facing the opposite direction that you are running. Who would do that? (You'd be surprised.) I'm talking about running the usual course, but in reverse.

Like sleeping on the other side of the bed, or wearing your watch on the other hand, or driving a rental, a little change can make the everyday fresh and new.

You'll see the same houses and yards and streets, but from a totally different perspective, and in a different order.

Sometimes, it can be a little disorienting. Last weekend I ran one of my "old and boring" courses backwards for the first time. I got to an intersection, one that I've run through countless times the other way, and I didn't recognize it. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know which way to go.

It blew my mind. Not just a little. A lot. It certainly wasn't the same, old, boring, mindless run.

Give it a try next time you're in a pinch yet feel the need to do something different.

And don't restrict it just to running. Take a different route to work. Brush your teeth with your other hand. Mouse with the other hand. Go to the same old restaurant and order something you've never tried before, maybe even something you think you might not like, or something that you're afraid to try.

Shake things up a bit and see if it doesn't mess with your perspective a little.